Gaming

Garmin launches an Instinct smartwatch for esport athletes

Comes with exclusive features too

Published

October 28, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

Garmin’s line of Instinct smartwatches traditionally caters to outdoor sports, with variants built for running, swimming, and even golfing. Now, the company is introducing a new smartwatch variant that caters to e-sport athletes and gamers — Garmin Instinct Esports Edition.

For some skeptics, this is not just another Garmin smartwatch though. It actually comes with a unique set of features for esports athletes and gamers. The most unique feature of the smartwatch is the ability to live stream the health data of a gamer to audiences.

Thanks to a dedicated esports activity tracking function, gamers can keep tabs on their heart rate and stress while in a gaming session. A PC tool called STR3AMUP! broadcasts these data to live stream platforms, allowing audiences to see a gamer’s vital info too. That tool also allows customization so gamers can personalize the data to their own liking.

Now, some might be skeptical about this. After all, health data are sensitive information and some audiences might not really find those data useful.

However, Garmin sees potential with their smartwatch all the more thanks to an exclusive live broadcast feature. During a game, gamers can tune in to the new Body Battery Energy Monitor reading, which combines heart rate, stress, and sleep data to determine their body’s energy.

Same specs as other Instinct smartwatches

Besides those unique selling points, Garmin Instinct Esports Edition is no different from the regular Instinct smartwatch. As such, it has a heart rate monitor, all-day activity tracking, and some smart features like receiving and viewing notifications.

Unfortunately, there is no support for third-party apps like other Garmin smartwatches. Support for music storage isn’t here too.

On the bright side, the smartwatch can stand the extreme elements thanks to a fiber-reinforced polymer body and a water rating of 10ATM. Garmin’s official battery figures are 80 hours in esports mode and 14 days in smartwatch mode.

As for the pricing, the smartwatch starts at US$ 299.99 and comes in a sole Black Lava configuration. Gamers can now purchase it directly from Garmin’s website.

Gaming

There’s a new Batman Arkham game coming

Exclusive to VR

Published

May 3, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

The world of Batman Arkham is not done. Despite concluding the trilogy with the successful Arkham Knight, the series occasionally makes a comeback. Now, it’s time to make another trip to the immersive grimdark world. Batman: Arkham Shadow is the next entry to the series, exclusive to the Meta Quest 3.

The franchise’s trips outside of the main trilogy are a mixed bag. No disrespect to those who actually liked the game, but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League just was not it. Though the game promised a return to Rocksteady’s iconic Arkham formula, the resulting game was a live-service mess. Arkham Origins was, at least, a decent play. Finally, the franchise’s first foray into VR, Arkham VR, was lauded for its gameplay but criticized for its length.

Arkham Shadow brings the franchise back to virtual reality. While the previous VR-exclusive was already a marvel of its technology, the upcoming title represents an evolution for hardware. Based on the official teaser, it will have updated graphics, giving Arkham City just that extra bite of darkness.

Currently, the trailer does not reveal anything about the game’s mechanics. More details are scheduled for release during the Summer Game Fest in June.

Though Arkham Shadow is certainly set in the eponymous universe, Rocksteady is not helming the development. Instead, Oculus Studios and Camouflaj are behind the title.

As for confirmed lore, the title looks like it will feature Ratcatcher, the villain who — surprise, surprise — controls rats. You might recognize the villain from 2021’s The Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn.

Gaming

Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO: New trailer, more characters revealed

It’s master vs. apprentice this time

Published

May 3, 2024

GadgetMatch

Today, Bandai Namco has released another trailer for Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. The clip focuses on master-apprentice duels this time, expanding on what we know so far about the upcoming latest installment of the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi fighting game series.

In the trailer, we see an epic series of battles between master and apprentice pairings. These include Piccolo against Gohan, Master Roshi against Krillin and Yamcha, Trunks versus Gohan, and a lot more. We also see Android 17 and Android 18 and one-armed Gohan towards the end of the trailer.

Even better news: it has been confirmed that 10 more playable characters have been included to the roster:

Gohan (Kid)
Gohan (Adult)
Gohan (Future)
Gohan (Future), Super Saiyan
Trunks (Sword)
Trunks (Sword), Super Saiyan
Videl
Beerus
Whis
Master Roshi

After the announcement of 24 Gokus and Vegetas, as well as 11 more characters about two months ago, the build-up definitely continues for the fighting game. With more and more playable characters, that means endless combinations for players to enjoy, all while indulging in stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5 and tailor-made for new-gen consoles.

Bandai Namco previously released exclusive gameplay footage from the title two months ago. This gave fans a preview upcoming fighting game’s 3D action-battle mechanics, with no less than rivals Goku and Vegeta leading the way.

The latest trailer, meanwhile, just let fans dive further into the graphical capabilities of the title. From the lightning-paced combat highlighted in the master-apprentice showdowns, to the characters’ in-action effects itself, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is building itself as a visual masterpiece.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).

Gaming

TEKKEN 8: Brand new story, 2nd DLC character announced

Season 1 roadmap unveiled

Published

May 2, 2024

GadgetMatch

Enjoying TEKKEN 8 so far? The title’s upcoming roadmap for the rest of 2024 has been revealed at EVO Japan, giving fans more reasons to keep playing Arika and Bandai Namco’s beloved fighting game.

There will be an all-new story coming to TEKKEN 8‘s Story Mode, which will be released in the future. Additionally, Lidia Sobieski has been confirmed as the second DLC character. She will be joining the roster this summer. It can be recalled that Eddy Gordo was the first character DLC for TEKKEN 8, joining the roster last April 4.

No specific date has been mentioned yet regarding Lidia Sobieski. Lidia made her franchise debut back in TEKKEN 7 as a DLC for the Season 4 Pass.

Meanwhile, adjustments to the battle system will be rolled out starting this spring. The game’s development team continues to work on improving balance and player experience. New modes such as Ghost vs. Ghost and Online Practice, on the other hand, will also be added at a later date.

Moreover, a new summer-themed stage, “Seaside Resort” will be available for free. Lastly, a brand new story will also be part of another free update in autumn. This new story will involve no less than Eddy Gordo.

ALSO READ: TEKKEN 8 closes a violent chapter to begin anew

TEKKEN World Tour

Also keeping TEKKEN fans busy for the next few months is the TEKKEN World Tour. The sixth season of this global tournament kicked off recently. Players across the globe compete to earn points and earn their place at the finals to be named The King of Iron Fist.

There will be a total of two Master+ events, 10 Master Events, and 14 Challenger Events worldwide for competitors to join. For more information on tour partners, event dates, locations, and signups, visit tekkenworldtour.com.